The African
militant, Nelson Mandela, winner of the International Qadhafi Prize for Human Rights for
1989, arrived in the evening of May 18, 1990, accompanied by his wife and a delegation,
for an official visit in the Great Jamahiriya, land of the worldwide Mathaba for
Resistance to Imperialism, Zionism, Racism, Fascism and Regression, haven and bastion for
all revolutionaries and free men from around the planet.

Mandela's arrival was saluted by an official and popular ceremony of
considerable size at the international airport at Tripoli. He was welcomed, along with the
delegation that accompanied him, by the Secretary and the members of the Secretariat of
the General Congress of the People, several members of the General Popular Committee of
the Municipality, members of the Worldwide Mathaba for Resistance to Imperialism, Zionism,
Racism, Fascism and Regression, masses of the popular congresses and internationalist
congresses, not to speak of a certain number of African and worldwide liberation movements
and the heads of political delegations from brother countries and friends authorized by
the Great Jamahiriya.

The International Qadhafi Prize for Human Rights:
Support for the Struggle and the Combat of the People of South Africa

In an interview given to journalists at the airport in Tripoli,
Nelson Mandela declared:

"My delegation and I are overjoyed with the invitation from the
Brother Guide to visit the Great Popular and Socialist Arab Libyan Jamahiriya. I have been
waiting impatiently ever since we received the invitation... I would like to remind you
that the first time I came here, in 1962, the country was in a very different state of
affairs. One could not but be struck by the sights of poverty from the moment of
arrival... with all of its usual corollaries: hunger, illness, lack of housing and of
health-care facilities, etc. Anger and revolt could be read in those days on the faces of
everyone...

"Since then, things have changed considerably. During our stay
in prison, we read and heard a great deal about the changes which have come about in this
country and about blossoming of the economy which has been experienced here. There is
prosperity and progress everywhere here today which we were able to see even before the
airplane touched ground. It is thus with great pleasure that we have come on a visit in
the Jamahiriya, impatient to meet our brother, the Guide Qadhafi."

As for the
International Qadhafi Prize for Human Rights which had been conferred upon him, Mandela
had this to say:

"I was first informed of it by the press. I was deeply touched
by this Prize insofar as it represents further support for the struggle taking place in
South Africa, to the ANC and to the combat of the people of South Africa. This Prize,
which was awarded to us by the Guide of the Libyan Revolution, has been of utmost
importance in that it has encouraged the combat or the liberation of South Africa, and it
has confirmed the support of the Jamahiriya for our struggle.

"This Prize has even been acknowledged by organizations and
institutions who had never shown themselves to be in favour of our cause up to that time.
Some people even seemed to believe, in fact, that it had been awarded to me personally. I
immediately sought to dispel all doubts on this matter to the great disappointment, no
doubt, of many in stating that this Prize crowned above all the action of the ANC and the
struggle of the South African people."

The Setting up of an Independent Palestinian State

"There has always been close collaboration between the Zionist
entity and South Africa. We have not ceased to condemn this cooperation loudly and clearly
and to call for putting an end to it. We all know that both racist systems lend each other
a helping hand in the areas of economic and military affairs."

"The ANC has, on numerous occasions, maintained that the PLO is
our comrade in arms in the struggle or the liberation of our respective countries. We
fully support the combat of the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine for the
creation of an independent Palestinian State."

The Guide of the worldwide Revolution receives the militant
Mandela,
along with his wife and the members of his delegation

Nelson
Mandela, his wife and the delegation which accompanied him were received by the Guide of
the Worldwide Revolution, himself.

After conveying to the Guide of the Revolution the greetings from
Oliver Tambu, President of the ANC, the militant African expressed to the Guide how deeply
revolted he had been by news of the American attack on Libya, calling it an act of
insanity perpetrated by America:

"Whatever the misunderstandings between the nations," said
Mandela, "nothing can justify an attack on one State by another or the sending of
naval fleets with the aim of provocation in mind."

"There can be absolutely no doubt that the American raid was
intended to kill. We were thus relieved to learn that the operation had failed and that
the Brother Guide of the Revolution was safe and sound..."

"We are extremely grateful to have been invited to visit your
country. History has thus given us the opportunity to make your acquaintance and to
express the solidarity and support of the people of South Africa to the Arab Libyan
people. Allow me, too, to express our deepest gratitude for the limitless aid which the
Glorious Revolution of Al Fateh has not ceased to bring in support of the fight to the
people of South Africa."

"On many occasions, you have taken a firm stand against all
forms of injustice and oppression, and you have given military support to the South
African people in their struggle for freedom and self-determination... Our situation is
identical to that of all peoples who are in struggle. Just as we, you are convinced that
armed struggle is the only effective way to recover freedom, as can be seen in your
commitment to the service of the most elementary of human rights throughout the world, and
most notably in South Africa..."

"We consider ourselves to be comrades in arms to the
Palestinian Arabs in their struggle or the liberation of Palestine. There is not a single
citizen in South Africa who is not ready to stand by his Palestinian brothers in their
legitimate fight against the Zionist racists..."

After thanking the African militant Mandela, his wife and the
delegation accompanying him for having responded favourably to his invitation, the Guide
of the Worldwide Revolution stated:

"Who would ever have said that, one day, the opportunity for us
to meet would become a reality. We would like you to know that we are constantly
celebrating your fight and that of the South African people and that we salute your
courage during all of those long years you spent in detention in the prisons of apartheid.
Not a single day has passed without our having though of you and of your sufferings."

The Guide of the Worldwide Revolution then went on to render homage
to the determination of Winnie Mandela, declaring that the Jamahiriya in its entirety had
followed her struggle, day by day, on television and on radio.

"It is thus that the Arab Libyan people," the Guide went
on, "have decided, during the festivities marking the twentieth anniversary of the
Glorious Revolution of the Al Fateh, to award you the International Qadhafi Prize for
Human Rights in homage to your struggle against the system of apartheid in South
Africa."

The Guide of the Worldwide Revolution then decorated the militant
African with the Medal of the Great Al Fateh in recognition granted by the Glorious
Revolution of Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid and in order to continue the
fight for liberty.

Winnie Mandela, the militant African's wife, was also decorated by
the Guide with the Order of Pioneers in homage rendered by the Glorious Revolution of the
Al Fateh to her fight for freedom in South Africa.

The Guide of the Worldwide Revolution then offered the South African
couple two weapons of Libyan manufacture: a Sebha rifle to Nelson Mandela and a Galt
pistol to his wife.

Mandela visits the site of the 1986 U.S. Attack

Upon their arrival in the Great Jamahiriya, the militant African,
Nelson Mandela, winner of the international Qadhafi Prize for Human Rights, and his wife
and the delegation went to the residence of the Guide of the Worldwide revolution where
they were able to see first hand the damage caused during the attack by the American
forces - a barbarous and fascistic act of aggression perpetrated against the people of the
Great Jamahiriya.

The militant African wrote in the Visitors Book the following:

"Fraternal greetings from a militant to Colonel Muammar Al
Qadhafi, Guide of the Glorious Revolution of the Al Fateh."

The delegation led by Nelson Mandela paid a visit to the
headquarters of the Worldwide Mathaba for Resistance to Imperialism, Zionism, Fascism and
Regression, where he met some of the revolutionary brigades making up the Worldwide
Mathaba.

In response to a declaration of alliance between the Worldwide
Mathaba and the ANC which was made during the welcoming ceremony, Mandela said:

"We insist on the necessity of continuing the struggles against
the enemies of the people to free mankind from every form of oppression and injustice. I
would like to stress the important role played by the Great Jamahiriya in the unbridled
support it has given to the forces of liberation throughout the world. The liberation of
Africa can be achieved only through the coordination of all the struggles taking place in
Africa today."